When I told him I was going to culinary school, he was totally floored. His girlfriend was like, “If you do that, I would leave you.” They’ve since broken up.

I would purposefully get in trouble because I really loved being in the kitchen. It was the first time in my life that I felt I had a purpose and was good at something.

“It’s the hardest and most stressful thing you will ever do. It’s a mentally taxing, unfulfilling, and unrewarding until it becomes a reality. If you want it that bad, you go after it and you don’t compromise.”

I feel that I still don’t have that repertoire of basic culinary technique that I will need to become a strong chef. Grant Achatz wasn’t able to create his ingenious “Truffle Explosion” ravioli of truffle liquid, until he was able to understand why duck stock turns into a gelatin when it is cooled and back into a liquid when it was heated.

This is my way of getting back to acting. I love hospitality and restaurants because I see that there is an art to this. Food is art to me.

I packed up everything I could fit in my car having no job or place to live. While I am down there, I figured I should work at the best restaurant when I was there.

Her loyalty, work ethic, and leadership in the kitchen have gotten her to where she is today. However, she did not take the typical route of attending a prestigious private culinary school as many of her peers did, to not only enter, but thrive in the food industry.